Teacher Beliefs and the Cultures of Teaching

Beliefs about teaching, or orientations to teaching, of students in undergraduate teacher preparation programs at Michigan State University (MSU) and experienced classroom teachers are described and contrasted. Brousseau, Book, and Byers suggest that the effects of the "teaching culture" in shaping a teacher's educational beliefs are pervasive enough to span school settings (i.e., urban, suburban, and rural) and to minimize differences between beliefs of male and female teach ers. The only variable that shows a significant effect on the vast majority of beliefs measured was years of experience. The authors conclude that the more experience teachers have in classrooms, the more likely they are to: (a) favor a common curriculum, (b) report believing that students should be given more responsibility, (c) believe that there should be common standards for all students, (d) agree that schools should act as change agents, and (e) reduce their sense of efficacy.